Russia’s New Arctic Fighting Force

Russia’s National Security Council has made public plans to create a new Arctic military force to defend the country’s interests in the disputed polar region.

Receding Arctic ice has opened up new competition among the countries that claim parts of the Arctic Circle’s outer ring. Much is at stake here: new shipping lanes, massive energy reserves and potential territorial disputes.

A document published on the Russian National Security Council website expresses concern over possible "militarization" of the Arctic. And it outlines plans to create a dedicated military force to protect the country’s interests in the far north. One of the main goals of this plan, the document states, is "to increase the effectiveness of cooperation with the border agencies (coast guards) of neighboring states in the fight against terrorism on the high seas, combat smuggling and illegal migration and defend marine life and resources."

That all sounds fairly benign, but it comes amid signs of rising military competition in the Arctic. Last month, the Canadian government disclosed that its fighter aircraft intercepted at least two Russian bombers just outside of Canada’s Arctic airspace. Canada has also stepped up military exercises in Arctic waters, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced plans to open two new military facilities in the Arctic: an army training center at Resolute Bay and a refurbished deep-sea port at Nanisivik.

So is it time for the U.S. military to start restocking cold weather gear? At this point, probably not. Patrolling the Arctic remains more of a challenge for the U.S. Coast Guard, which will have more waterways to watch as polar ice recedes. In an excellent feature on Arctic Circle issues last year in Jane’s Defence Weekly (subscription only, sorry), Adm. Thad Allen, the Coast Guard commandant, said: "I have to be prepared to respond and put assets there to accomplish [Coast Guard] missions."